Matthew Kaminer, an 18-year-old University of Florida freshman, died April 20, 2000 after taking
OxyContin. Kaminer's parents are suing Purdue Pharma, OxyContin's maker, and Eckerd pharmacy.
Toxicology reports determined that the prescription painkiller caused the young man's death. Kaminer was found dead in the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house after he took OxyContin given to him by his friend, Naeem Diamond Lakhani. Lakhani obtained the OxyContin from his roommate, Ying Che Lo, a University of Florida pharmacy major and Eckerd's employee.
Lo is accused of stealing 126 80-milligram OxyContin pills from the Eckerd drugstore where he worked. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is serving three months in jail. Lakhani pleaded no contest to delivery of a controlled substance and was sentenced to one month in jail.
OxyContin is a potent painkiller designed to ease chronic and debilitating pain. Although designed to release over time, many abusers simply chew the pill to get an immediate heroin-like high.